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Newharbour
Newharbour, also known as the First City and the Heart of the New World, is a cosmopolitan city-state situated on the northeastern coast of The West Marches. A bustling hub of trade and industry, the city is a member of the Lords' Alliance; who has relied on the settlement to cement and expand their influence within the New World. History Discovery The first permanent settlement established within the West Marches, the city was founded on the final day of Winterfell 1852 DR by independent explorer, merchant, and famed leader of the First Exodus, Remont Van Der Brul II. Having endured a relentless winter at sea for almost 4 months, Van Der Brul was eager to find anchorage for his 116 ships which survived the voyage. Landing upon the first cove to offer sufficient protection from the harsh seas; the hundreds of settlers immediately began to clear the surrounding forest to reveal a rich and fertile farmland. With sufficient resources available, settlers began to venture out from the colony to establish their own small settlements. The Second Exodus By Fall 1852 DR news of the rich new land had reached the Sword Coast, gaining the full attention of the Lords Alliance, who's resources had been greatly diminished during the rebuilding of Neverwinter. On the 5th Day of Icemelt 1853 the Second Exodus, an expedition fleet of over 2000 ships backed by the Lords' Alliance, left Neverwinter for the New World. With the arrival of the Second Exodus on 17th Day of Chillrise 1853 DR, Newharbour grew rapidly. Taking note of the huge labour force and abundance in resources, the leadership of the Lord's Alliance invested heavily in the planning and development of the city. With the discovery of the Dunheim mines, Newhabour became a self-sufficient city with a population soon to rival the great cities of the mainland. Paulio de Grey and the Van Der Brul Deposition By 1865 DR Newharbour was no longer the only major settlement in The West Marches. Whilst it dwarfed the new cities of Dawnhaven and E'ilon in terms of size and sheer volume of trade, the lack of a consolidated and defined leadership had become apparent. Whilst the development and security of the region was primarily attributed to the Lord's Alliance, the Lordship had to contest with the authority of Remont Van Der Brul II, whom had proclaimed himself Governor upon founding the settlement. Van Der Brul was seen by many as a driven yet incompetent ruler. A romantic idealist, he envisioned Newharbour as "A utopia in the making." Van Der Brul neglected the needs of the surrounding settlements in order to prioritise the growth of the city, and the Lords' Alliance consequently filled the role as protector of the realm. With local favour growing for the Lords' Alliance, one by one the settlements of Graymoor, Ashford, Tannenvale and Dunheim opted to form a protectorate under the Alliance. Trade from the protectorate settlements was restricted in order to pressure Van Der Brul to relinquish control of Newharbour, however the governor retained a firm grasp on the settlement; and employed increasingly desperate policies as time went on. By mid 1867 DR relations between the Lords Alliance and the Van Der Brul Government had reached an all time low. In a vain attempt to stop further growth to the protectorate, the Van Der Brul government blocked all emigration from New Harbour, and proposed a law against the formation of new settlements in the region. Paulio de Grey, a notable local aristocrat, saw an opportunity in the growing local dissent for the governor. On the 15th commemoration of the foundation of the city, De Grey publicly lobbied Van Der Brul during his commemorative speech to release the emigration restrictions that had been established. During his presentation, De Grey accused the governor of hypocrisy in the establishment of the laws; as the governor himself had been an explorer. Paulio de Grey was subsequently arrested for treason, and imprisoned for several days. His family sent word to the Lords' Alliance advising them of Van Der Brul's actions, and sought restitution "as an old friend of the Alliance." On the morning of the 7th day of Greenbloom 1867 DR, the Lords' Alliance marched on Newharbour with "valorous cause against tyranny" to arrest Van Der Brul for high treason. Alliance soldiers entered the city with no local resistance, and arrested the governor whilst he was walking the central gardens of the city. Van Der Brul was to be placed before the Alliance Courts the following day, however managed to escape imprisonment and flee the city. Seeking to avoid accusations of invasion and staging a coup d'etat, the Lord's Alliance endorsed Paulio de Grey as an independent candidate for governor. On the 20th Day of Greenbloom 1867 DR Paulio de Gray was elected Governor of Newharbour. Acknowledging how the surrounding settlements benefited from Alliance affiliation, De Gray proposed for the city to join the Lords' Alliance, with the public marginally voting in favor of membership. It was not long before Newharbour was established as a member state of the Lord's Alliance, with Paulio de Gray re-titled as the city's first Lord Protector. The surrounding protectorate settlements were then incorporated into Newharbour's sphere of influence. Government During it's first 15 years of existence, the city was ruled under self-proclaimed Governor of Newharbour, Remont Van Der Brul II. Van Der Brul maintained a close circle of advisers sourced from the settlement's aristocracy, patrons of the First Exodus and, in 1853 DR, the Lords' Alliance. In most cases however, Van Der Brul exercised complete authority over the implementation of laws and policies; particularly when they related to the development of the city. By the introduction of the no-emigration policy in 1867 DR, the merchant cabal that had funded the First Exodus had withdrawn support of the Van Der Brul Government; instead opting to invest in the new settlement of Dawnhaven. Without the influence of external parties Van Der Brul began to rule the city with a benevolent yet dysfunctional form of tyranny; one of which quickly grew out of favour with the public. With the city's unification with the Lord's Alliance and declaration of Paulio de Grey as Lord Protector in 1867 DR, the city's leadership underwent a great reformation. The Lord Protector was assisted by two advisers; the Lord's Right Hand, which was elected by the Lord's Alliance as their representative; and the Lord's Left Hand, whom was a person elected of the Lord's choosing. The Lord Protector and his hands headed the Harbourmen Council; consisting of locally-elected representatives from each of the city's holdings. Whilst the Lord Protector maintained final authority in most aspects of their rule, either Hand or a majority vote from the council could veto the implementation of new laws and/or policies. Having been elected as the Governor of Newharbour before receiving his Office of Lordship, the succession to Paulio de Grey's rule has been a major point of contention within the city. By 1900 DR the Lord Protector's health had ailed considerably, raising the question as to whom will replace his rule. Whilst De Grey's eldest son, Faevian, was considered to be the de facto successor, many argued that the Lord Protector's two younger children also had claims to the sovereignty. With the abrupt death of Faevian de Grey, succession defaulted to Paulio's second son. With the backing of the Lord's Alliance and support of the common-folk, Sigmund's position quickly solidified. In spite of Sigmund's apparent popularity, many had raised that without a law of succession having ever been approved by the Harbourmen Council, an individual outside the De Grey family may also be an eligible candidate for succession. Following Paulio's assassination at the hands of his daughter, Sigismund was granted succession rights and is now the current Lord Protector of the city. With the De Grey family greatly weakened and the city on the brink of revolt, Sigmund aligned himself with the Lords' Alliance just as his father had done before him. Trade & Industry Newharbour was one of the largest, busiest and most popular ports-of-call found on the eastern coast of the West Marches, handling a wide variety of cargoes that rivalled even the sprawling ports of Dawnhaven, and Baldur's Gate. Anyone in good-standing with the Lords' Alliance was welcome to trade in the city. By virtue of the Alliance's expansive connections to the Old World, Newharbour was the greatest centre of trade throughout West Marches, out-competing the smaller yet very wealthy city of Dawnhaven with regards to gross volume of trade. The discovery of the West Marches brought forth a population explosion on a scale never seen throughout history. Within half a century the New World boasted cities that scaled to the likes of Waterdeep and Neverwinter. Every days hundreds of vessels arrive from the Old World delivering the materials and resources necessary. to support the development of the West Marches. Raw resources were also sourced from surrounding local settlements. Newharbour sponsored nearly a vast array of professional guilds, from seafarers and adventurers, to lore masters, brew-masters, metalworkers and nearly every skilled trades-person in between. While the West Marches Trading Company previously dominated trade in the city, it was banned by the Lords' Alliance and is now forced to operate in secret. Society The people of Newharbour took great pride in the inclusiveness of their city. The first city of the New World, It was regarded as a place anyone could call home, or start a new life within, regardless of race, creed or personal history. Due to its dense population, heavy industrialisation, and crowded streets, working-class culture prevailed in most areas save for the upper-class districts. Despite the gritty atmosphere, Newharbour was a relatively safe city for both locals and visitors alike. As a whole, citizens of Newharbour did not tolerate drunk and debaucherous behaviour. Despite the Lords' Alliance's extensive influence over the city, an element of anti-authoritarianism does exist. Most common-folk display an attitude of begrudging acceptance, citing the Alliance as a necessary encumbrance which guarantees safety and prosperity in an unknown world. Geography Category:Settlements Category:Locations Category:Featured Article